Going Back To Athens – Day 2

Sunday, March 15It’s normally tough for me to get good sleep in a hotel but this Holiday Inn in Athens is on “fleek” as our Ambassadors would say.The buffet breakfast was great. We were shocked that there was still any food left because we are sharing the same hotel with the University of Missouri baseball team. They are in Athens facing the UGA Dogs for a weekend SEC series.

Talk about empowerment. I wish that I could have recorded the conversations between the Ambassadors and the Missouri baseball team while in the hotel last night. You would have been proud of them Atlanta.

Kerrick is the only black coach in the SEC which is arguably the top baseball conference in the NCAA.

Kerrick Jackson

Like L.E.A.D., he is striving daily to increase the number of black athletes thriving in the NCAA in baseball and academics. Currently, less than 5% of NCAA student-baseball players are black.

After that big breakfast, we took a pass on driving our Enterprise Vans and walked 30 minutes to Foley Field for the game.

All the Ambassadors got silent as we approached Foley Field. They were completely engaged and respected the opportunity to be empowered.

Missouri out hit UGA today and got the win.

We took a short walk to Smoothie King and another 30 minute walk back to the hotel. I was impressed with their staff. They served all 34 of us in a very short period of time. We shut the place down.

CJ: What does it take to be a student-athlete at UGA?

Ambassador Vernard Kennedy (Sophomore, New Schools at Carver): It takes commitment to not only your school work, but asplayer also. In the word “student-athlete” student comes first. You have to do your work and be able to perform on the baseball field. You also have to be a benefit to your team and school and be a great representative of what is expected of you.

Ambassador D’Anthony Morrow (Junior, Benjamin E. Mays High School): To attend UGA as a student-athlete, you must be coachable, responsible, respectable and humble. You must be an exceptional student and athlete. You must commit to the G!

CJ: What does it take to be a student-athlete at UGA?

Ambassador Byron Brinkley (Sophomore, Charles Drew Charter School): You have to have great grades, great attitude and great athletic ability.